Step Back In Time At These 11 Spots In The US

Reading about America‘s first pioneers, or the founders of the nation, is almost always done via history books. But experiencing bygone times firsthand develops a better understanding of how history has unfolded over the past few centuries. Across the U.S., these living history museums and preserved towns of the Old West dedicate themselves to providing visitors with a leap into the past.

Tombstone, Arizona

Preserved as much as it was 130 years ago, Tombstone, founded in 1879, is a historic city and one of the last frontier boomtowns of the Old West, the streets once paraded by the likes of Western legends Wyatt Earp, Johnny Ringo, and Ike Clanton. The city takes visitors back in time with gunfights, shows and re-enactments, underground mine tours, stage coach rides, and a handful of history museums. Looking to get into character? Head to one of the old photo studios where you’ll be dressed in period costume and photographed.

Tombstone, AZ, USA

1. Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts

Museum, Historical Landmark

Old Sturbridge Village - Sturbridge | © Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism/Flickr

As an 1830s living history museum, Old Sturbridge Village preserves 19th-century life in rural New England. There’s a working farm with heritage breed animals, historic buildings, horse-drawn sleighs (during winter), costumed historians, and water-powered mills. The Village offers several events throughout the year – Winter Photo Walk, Sunday Brunch, and Dinner in a Country Village – as well as youth programs. And if you want to spend a little extra time in the town, there are historic lodges and homes in which to stay.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

It doesn’t get more historical than Gettysburg, PA. The location for the infamous battle in 1863 that rocked the Confederate forces during the American Civil War, this historic town has a wealth of activities to be transported to an era past. Visitors can tour the battlefield – now known as the Gettysburg National Military Park – by car, bicycle, horseback, or on foot (spring through fall, demonstrations are reenacted on the field). Also in the park: the Gettysburg Museum featuring an impressive display of Civil War artifacts and the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Don’t miss the memorial that marks the site of Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Gettysburg Address.

Gettysburg, PA, USA